Today I'm reminded that these are real people, not just heroes of the faith. Moses and Aaron had many who doubted their leadership, and they were not immune to the hurt of being betrayed by friend, a fellow members of the congregation, or leader. Maybe you can relate? As we look to God to be our inheritance and our portion, we'll find He is worth it.

Today's Reading: Numbers 16-19

Scripture Read or Referenced:

Numbers 16:1-15, 28-31

Numbers 17:1-8

Numbers 18:20

Wondering how to talk to people (and your kids) about the hard truths in Scripture? Listen to this week's episode of AGAIN: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-again-podcast-on-biblical-motherhood/id1700555502

Find out more about Entrusted with a Child's Heart here: www.entrustedministries.com/studies

Commentaries Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary

Welcome to the Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries.

2

I'm Stephanie Hickox, and today

I'm reminded of fresh that these

3

aren't just words on a page.

4

They're real people who faced

real hurt and opposition.

5

If you've been hurt by a friend, family

member, or someone in your church,

6

and it hurt even worse because they

were your brother or sister in Christ.

7

I pray that you find encouragement.

8

You're not alone.

9

Today's reading is on numbers

Chapter 16 through 19.

10

A couple chapters ago we read that Moses

was more meek than anyone on the earth.

11

He was a servant hearted

leader, and he was humble.

12

Still, there were people that

rose up against his leadership.

13

Let's look at Chapter

16 beginning in verse one.

14

Now Cora, the son of Azar, son

of Coap, son of Levi and Dathan

15

and Ab Byrum, the sons of Eliab

16

and own

17

Steph: the son of Peth.

18

Sons of Reuben took men and

they rose up before Moses with a

19

number of the people of Israel.

20

250 chiefs of the congregation chosen

from the assembly, well-known men.

21

They assembled themselves together

against Moses and against Aaron, and

22

said to them, you have gone too far for

all in the congregation are holy, every

23

one of them, and the Lord is among them.

24

Why then do you exalt yourselves

above the assembly of the Lord?

25

When Moses heard it.

26

He fell on his face and he said

to Cora and all his company in the

27

morning, the Lord will show who is

His, and who is holy, and will bring

28

him near to him, the one whom he

chooses He will bring near to him.

29

Do this, take sensors, Cora and all

his company, put fire in them and put

30

incense on them before the Lord tomorrow.

31

And the man whom the Lord

chooses shall be the holy one.

32

You have gone too far.

33

Sons of Levi and Moses said to Cora here.

34

Now you sons of Levi.

35

Is it too small a thing for you

that the God of Israel has separated

36

you from the congregation of Israel

to bring you near to himself to do

37

service in the tabernacle of the Lord?

38

And to stand before the congregation

to minister to them and that he has

39

brought you near him and all your

brothers, the sons of Levi with you,

40

and would you seek the priesthood also?

41

Therefore, it is against the

Lord that you and all your

42

company have gathered together.

43

What is Aaron that you

grumble against him?

44

And Moses sent a call, Dathan and

a Byrum, the sons of Eliab, and

45

they said, we will not come up.

46

Is it a small thing that you have brought

us up out of a land flowing with milk

47

and honey to kill us in the wilderness?

48

That you must also make

yourself a prince over us.

49

Moreover, you have not brought

us into a land flowing with

50

milk and honey, nor given us

inheritance of fields and vineyards.

51

Will you put out the eyes of these men?

52

We will not come up.

53

And Moses was very angry and said to

the Lord, do not respect their offering.

54

I have not taken one donkey from them

and I have not harmed one of them.

55

Let's pause there.

56

Remember, the Levites were particularly

chosen to serve in the tabernacle

57

and the Alite were in charge of

carrying the sacred pieces they had

58

privilege and honor, but it wasn't

enough for them, and some from

59

the tribe of Reuben also rose up.

60

Remember, Reuben was the firstborn

son of Jacob, later renamed as Israel.

61

It could be that they were resenting

Judah's place of honor in the camp.

62

And felt they should have it because

they were in the line of the firstborn.

63

And this isn't just one or

two people, 250 chiefs of the

64

congregation, well-known men.

65

These are probably some of the most

respected people in all the community.

66

And they say, if we're all a holy

priesthood, then why do Moses and

67

Aaron get to tell us everything to do?

68

They will even be as bold

to say that Egypt was a land

69

flowing with milk and honey.

70

They keep remembering it

with rose colored glasses,

71

painting a reality that just wasn't

true, and using God's own words about

72

the promised land I could be mistaken,

but this seems to be the first time

73

that Moses intercedes negatively and

tells the Lord to not listen to the

74

people and not accept their sacrifice.

75

Every other time he has stood in the

gap, abating the anger of the Lord.

76

I didn't really understand what it

meant by put the people's eyes out,

77

but I get it now, they're saying.

78

That Moses' leadership has been so

fruitless that he would have to cut out

79

the people's eyes for them to believe

that he had actually benefited them.

80

Ouch.

81

Moses tells God, I haven't benefited

from anything I've led with integrity.

82

Let's remember that Moses

was raised as a prince.

83

He left all of it because he

couldn't handle the unjust way

84

his people were being treated.

85

He returns to lead them out,

86

and this entire time he's been in the

wilderness in the same living conditions

87

as them eating the same foods they eat.

88

But he keeps coming back to

the dwelling place of the Lord.

89

and Moses told those standing

with Cora to each light a sensor.

90

If you're a survivor fan, you know when

you're voted off the island, Jeff probes

91

comes and he snuffs out your torch.

92

Moses is saying, we're gonna see who's

gonna get snuffed out and who will remain.

93

Then the glory of the Lord

appears to all the congregation.

94

This happened in our last reading

when people were coming against

95

Caleb and Joshua and ready to stone

them, but the glory of the Lord

96

appeared at the tent of meeting.

97

It is like in a movie when you're

watching and a kid is getting bullied

98

and all of a sudden the principal

or the dad shows up right behind him

99

and the bully runs away.

100

but in both situations, the

Israelites are being reminded

101

exactly who they're sitting against.

102

God says, get away from the congregation.

103

Moses.

104

I'm gonna consume them

and start over with you.

105

But Moses and Aaron intercede once

again for the people they pray, oh

106

God, the God of the spirits of all

flesh shall one man sin and will you

107

be angry with all the congregation?

108

This name?

109

The God of the spirits of all

flesh is only used two times

110

in scripture and it means God.

111

You know everything you are omniscient

and you know the hearts of everyone.

112

You can tell who's rebelling

against you and who isn't.

113

So limit your consequence to just the

rebellious, their prayers are effective.

114

God says, tell everybody to get away from

the tenses of Cora Dathan and a byrum.

115

He's giving them an opportunity to say,

I am not standing with this rebellion.

116

I'm choosing you Lord.

117

And in verse 28, Moses said, hereby,

you shall know that the Lord has

118

sent me to do all these works, and

that it has not been of my own accord.

119

If these men die, as all men die, or

if they are visited by the fate of all

120

mankind, then the Lord has not sent me.

121

But if the Lord creates something new and

the ground opens its mouth and swallows

122

them up with all that belongs to them.

123

And they go down alive in a

shield, then you shall know that

124

these men have despised the Lord.

125

And as soon as he had finished

speaking all these words, the ground

126

under them split apart and the earth

opened its mouth and swallowed them up

127

and fire, came out from the

Lord and consumed those 250

128

men offering the incense.

129

But God tells Moses to have Azar,

take the sensors and hammer them down.

130

They'll go inside the tent.

131

As a testimony and in

classic Israelite style.

132

They end up grumbling against

Moses and Aaron the next day,

133

blaming them for killing the men.

134

Again, God wants to consume

them and this is a rare moment.

135

Instead of Moses interceding, as he

usually does, he tells Aaron to act

136

and get fire from the altar and incense

to make atonement for the congregation

137

because a plague has gone out.

138

Aaron acts quickly and the

plague has stopped, but in the

139

meantime, 14,700 were killed.

140

In chapter 17, God reaffirms that he has

called Aaron to the priesthood by telling

141

every tribe to write their name on a staff

and put them inside the tent of meaning.

142

These are dead, dried up pieces

of wood, but in the morning,

143

Aaron's staff has blossomed,

bloomed and sprouted ripe almonds.

144

There was no doubt it was

the line that God had chosen.

145

Generally the Lord speaks directly

to Moses or to Moses and Aaron.

146

But in chapter 18, he addresses

Aaron alone telling him that the

147

Levites are to be a gift to him

and that the priesthood is a gift.

148

in 1820, the Lord tells him, you shall

have no inheritance in their land.

149

Neither shall you have

any portion among them.

150

I am your portion and your inheritance

among the people of Israel.

151

God's presence is the greatest

blessing we could imagine, even if

152

it doesn't mean earthly treasure.

153

Our reading today

concludes with chapter 19.

154

God graciously gives them new guidelines

to handle dead bodies without the

155

costly sacrifice of an animal.

156

Think about it, over the course of about

38 years, more than 1,200,000 people

157

are going to die in the wilderness.

158

This would've been about

31,000 a year, and about 87 A.

159

Instead, the people get to use a

water and ash mixture, but to create

160

it, there's an emphasis on red.

161

There's a red heifer, then

cedarwood, which certainly has a

162

red tint, and then scarlet material.

163

And the hisp was what was used to

place the blood of the lamb over

164

the doorpost on the Passover.

165

It's the only sacrifice in which the

blood of the animal was to be burned up.

166

Steph: all of this opposition to Moses and

Aaron makes me think of Elizabeth Elliot,

167

after the death of her missionary husband,

Jim Elliott, she stayed to minister

168

to the Wani tribe working alongside

Martyred Nate Saint's sister Rachel Saint.

169

Elizabeth and Rachel had

different opinions about how

170

to minister to the tribe.

171

Rachel often pushing for westernizing

them and forcing early conversions.

172

And Elizabeth preferring

a more gentle approach.

173

Eventually it became too much,

and it was one of the reasons

174

Elizabeth left the mission field.

175

It wouldn't be until decades later

that the missions organization would

176

acknowledge to Elizabeth their awareness

of Rachel's difficult personality.

177

She had to wait for validation.

178

When we have conflicts with

others, we might be the Rachel,

179

we might be the Elizabeth.

180

We may be innocent like Moses and Aaron.

181

Or blinded to our ambition,

like the Sons of Quora,

182

may Jesus's presence in all of it

be our portion and our inheritance.

183

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the

privilege to come before you when we

184

face resistance or hurt, particularly

from those who claim your name.

185

Help us to evaluate our own motives,

actions, And thoughts before you, rather

186

than rising up in self-preservation.

187

May we be meek interceding,

even on behalf of those that

188

don't believe the best about us.

189

and even

190

Though this is often a

mature character trait.

191

That is only learned by suffering.

192

I pray that you would bless our kids with

this, that they would be people that

193

advocate for grace and mercy to be shown.

194

May each of us be a blessing in our

churches and in our communities, and

195

may we elevate your name above our own

196

and that.

197

We are certainly following your example.

198

Jesus.

199

It's in your name we pray.

200

Amen.